The Era of the Goddess Hylia
by Hope5683
Summary: What really happened one thousand years ago when Hylia sealed Demise? And what happened with Hylia and her chosen hero? Read to find out! Based of Skyward Sword Prequel Manga, just with a lot of added-in story line. May change to M rating. R&R is appreciated!
1. The Warning

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any characters (unfortunately).**

**Hey there! Ok so yes, this is based off of the Skyward Sword Prequel Manga, so it's kind of the same. Kind of. Yes, I followed the story line, but I still had to add a lot of things to actually make it a story. So if you don't want to be spoiled for later, then don't look anything up!**

**Welll... see you at the end of the chapter!**

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There was a flash of light, and then the ominous creature vanished from view. It wasn't until his vision was clear that Link looked at the damage that the vile being had caused. One of the many areas of his body that was inflicted with scars particularly bad was the on his right leg. He watched, as his once tan-colored pants slowly seemed to dissolve to what became a red, almost black color.

His body hurt from head to toe, but most of his pain was jolting from the wound of his left shoulder. Lord Dagianis, the immortal soul that had attacked him, struck his blade into Link's shoulder and had nearly shattered the gold armor that protected his sword arm. The armor not only spared him of a broken arm, but also held his red cape suitably, which was only shading a darker red than what it already was with each passing moment.

Despite the pain shooting all around his body, Link determined what his next move should be, and that was to establish meaning behind all of this destruction. Lord Dagianis's purpose for appearing on the grounds of Hylia was for a warning. A warning as a message from Demise himself, the Demon Lord. Link assumed that Dagianis had been instructed to victimize him until the brink of death, letting his mortal body suffer after the ounces of drawn blood as a warning of what was soon to come.

Dagianis's words floated back to Link's mind as the adrenaline started to subside, allowing the wound to become even more excruciating. He remembered the black figure's fighting tactics, and how Link had barely even touched him with his sword, regardless of the various well-strategized sword-fighting skills he possessed. Then, the stab through his gold armor, and only the feeling of discomfort dwelled from his left shoulder down. It wasn't broken, but it was useless nonetheless. Blinded from pain, he was still very aware of the dark figure that lurked over to his side.

Dagianis had slightly opened his fine, unimpaired mouth, unlike Link's bloodstained lips. This was when Link noticed his murky black skin covered in white diamonds, and how menacing and powerful he really was. The dark figure whispered in his ear, "War is coming, and we don't play nice. You'll see once you go back to your precious village. As long as I live, you and your people shall decay into flesh and bones. The golden power shall belong to the demon army!" And then his laughter, the sword being ripped out of Link's skin, the flash of light.

He winced at the mention of the golden power. This, no doubt, referred to the Triforce, and how the demon army would seek it for total power. Before he could focus on anything else ha made this promise to himself: No matter what happens to him, he would protect the sacred relic with everything that he had, even if it meant risking his life.

Link opened his eyes, which were squeezed shut in pain moments ago, and found himself in an open field, the grass around him burnt to a crisp. He could see the very top of the castle from above the trees that surrounded the field. After the struggle of even the simple task of standing up, he saw half of his sword in front of him, the metal melted off near the hilt. "Orville," he breathed once he saw the remnants of the blade. He had named the sword Orville after his father, since it was him who gave it to Link. Once he died, Link took the sword everywhere, with the somewhat comforting feeling that his father was always with him.

But now, seeing only it's handle, he felt emptiness. He found himself on his knees, and didn't bother to try to bring himself back to his feet. The emptiness seem to drain any hope of strength that he had, but that's exactly what he needed now. For the strength to go warn and protect his village.

And he found that strength as he looked into the ashes of the burnt grass and saw a glint of light as the clouds started to part, and made sun shine on his face. He prayed to the Hylia the goddess that the shimmer was what he thought it was.

And Hylia had blessed him.

The blade of his sword hadn't completely melted away, for it was there a few feet away from him. Struggling to get to his feet, he could see that by the looks of it, it could probably be put back together within a few days. He carefully picked up the metal blade and set it in his sheath, hidden behind his cape, which was the only part of his clothing that appeared to be undamaged.

Link limped to his village, which was not as far as it seemed due to the immense throbbing shooting through his body. He hadn't even reached the outer barrier of the town until sundown. It actually would have been faster just to go to the castle from where the field was, but Dagianis's words had him fearful for his village. _War is coming, and we don't play nice. You'll see once you go back to your precious village_. Just the thought of the taunting words made him shiver.

Since he had to pass to his house to get into the boundaries of the town anyways, he figured he'd stop by there first and try to recover a bit. The walk had been exhausting, and he convinced himself that he deserved a well-earned break. He had just walked in, thinking about where he stashed his extra heart potions when the lights unexpectedly came on and he involuntarily fell to his knees.

There were things, huge things surrounding him, but he couldn't tell what they were as his vision became distorted due to the sudden change of the painful light intensity. After adjusting his eyes, he looked up and found faces of his fellow knights surrounding him, but he could only recognize them by the silvery shine of their arm guard armor. He immediately wondered why his legs were failing, and why the knights wouldn't show chivalry and help him up, like any good knight should.

"Link, we're here to help you…" a seemingly familiar voice said. Link's vision still seemed to be that of a worm.

He slowly felt his body becoming weaker, rejecting any movements he wanted to make. His head dropped and he somehow managed to let his arms assist his legs just to hold himself up.

Link struggled to get any words out. "W-why… h-help…" was all he could manage to say. Even as he was supporting himself on all fours, he could begin feeling his arms start to quiver.

The same familiar voice began to speak again. "Link, you need to understand why we're here. You supposedly go out at night fighting something, but it doesn't exist. You warned us to be prepared, but there was nothing to be prepared for." Before that battle, Link had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was going to attack. He had told everyone to keep safe and not leave their houses, which caused the whole town to be corrupted in panic. "You sent the whole town into a scare. And now you come back with scars, bruises, torn clothes…. We have no need for a powerful hero." It wasn't until now that Link had realized what he'd done. Sure, he knew he had tried to warn everyone, but he never saw the impact. He didn't remember making the voluntary decision to tell everyone, though. It was almost like someone was telling him to cause the village to be corrupted in panic. Almost like he was being _controlled_….

"I don't want to be the one that has to say it Link, but you've left me no choice." He took a deep breath before proceeding. "You've gone mad, Link. And we believe that there's only one way to help you." Link's body fell from under him, and he was crouched on the floor. The man got down on one knee and spoke to Link as if it were more personal. "And I'm not going to sugar-coat it, okay? It's prison…." He stood up and gave a quick nod to one of the knights standing across from him.

_Prison_. The word echoed through his mind until it sank in. He was going to prison. Just yesterday he had been one of the top respected knights in all of the land of Hylia, and now he would be trapped underground with no escape.

Link tried to get away, but his body failed him. He lied on the floor helpless, knowing what was to come. The man that was signaled at pulled out a syringe from behind him and injected it at Link's neck. His eyes immediately began to feel droopy, and he knew he only had a matter of seconds to see what was soon going to become bitter memories of his last moments of any kind of light.

"It's a sad day to see one of them go like that," were the last words Link heard, and too fast. Fast enough that he didn't even have the time to pray to Hylia that everything would be all right. Then, before he knew it, his world went black.

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**All done! Right now I'm editing the second chapter, but it won't be up for a while because I like to be a few chapters ahead. And I'm not sure how much time I'll have because school has been taking up all of my time recently. I have advanced English, college history, advanced chemistry, French IV, and 2 higher math classes. It's hard to balance everything out, but I really am trying! Sorry if it ends up being a long wait for the next chapter! :(**


	2. Darkness

**Hey there! So I actually got this chapter up wayyy sooner than I expected... but still the next one will take a while. :/**

**Anyways, since this is from the SS prequel manga, I managed to use some direct quotes from it. Not in this chapter, but the next one. Of course I had to add some lines to make it flow better, and for the extra story lines I'm adding in myself, but if you were to actually read the manga then you'd see me using the character's words.**

**But again, don't read it if you want to be spoiled!**

**Enjoy the chapter! :)**

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_Four Years Later_

When Link awoke, he immediately spat the blood from his mouth into the blackness that surrounded him. He hated waking up, because not only did it make him conscious of his pain, but it also was no different than closing his eyes; either way he experienced eternal darkness, and there was nothing he could do about it. The only light he ever saw were the rays from the incandescent bulbs when the door in the ceiling opened, which provided an entrance for someone that would feed him. Other than the brief reminder of the lights emitting from the ceiling's door, he could've been blind and wouldn't have even been able to tell the difference.

The blood made a soft sound, but it still echoed through the place he was at. He had no idea how big the prison was, or where exactly it was for that matter. Although, he was positive it was underground somewhere. But it made no difference, so he never tried to ponder it for too long.

Instead he tried to redirect his attention to what had possibly caused his blood to materialize in his mouth, but he always found it to be the same explanation. Every now and then he would receive lashes from a whip machine that would send immense pain throughout his entire body, regardless of where the whip actually struck. He thought that it was sort of a good thing that he was underground, that way no one could hear his screams.

Link's hands were chained to the wall so they hung over his head, and his feet to the floor. He could still touch the floor though, so it wasn't possible to suffocate himself, like some did when it was only their arms supporting the entire weight of their bodies.

He was fed and given water twice a day, although he never actually saw who gave him the food. At first he refused to eat, but after a few days he decided that the lashes from the whip were bad enough, let alone his hunger.

As a matter of fact, Link did many things differently the first few days of his imprisonment. He didn't eat, he constantly strained to get his hands free, and he often shouted out of pain and anger.

But the main thing that he did, and what he doesn't do anymore, is the one he regrets the least. The process of thinking.

Thoughts used to come easily to him, of what his life used to be like, his battle with Dagianis, and any possible explanations as to why he was even in this state. But something always disturbed him. It haunted his brain and sent shivers through his bones just to think about. How he and his fellow knights had somehow been… hypnotized.

This was his theory. Dagianis, or Demise, had somehow used some kind of dark curse on him that made him declare to everyone about an evil presence coming out of the ground on the surface, stirring up the whole town into a panic. He knew that he himself would not have done anything like that voluntarily, even if what the curse had made him say were the truth.

And knowing the legitimacy of the knights' valiance and chivalry, they wouldn't have punished him like this willingly. Even though he was angry with them for not seeing what he could, he understood. Clearly, he wasn't able to figure it out until after the curse had done it's job, and theirs' was still present. He just had to endure the pain until they put the pieces together.

But Link feared that they day they realized he was innocent would happen long after his soul departed from the world. After all, Dagianis had said, _As long as I live, you and your people shall decay into flesh and bones_. It seemed that "decay into flesh and bones" was meant to be directed to the curse, and how it can tamper with your soul, so you're not even you anymore. You might as well be dead; decayed. And if that were true, then the curse would only last as long as he was alive.

But… how would he die? He was in the demon realm, and all the others, even the knights in a way, were on his side. The only way he would experience death, it seemed, was through Link himself. And that didn't seem to go very well the first time.

His theory was all that he had to think about for a while. He even told the person who brought him his food everyday, even though they didn't say a word. After what seemed to be a month or so, Link gave up any hope he had for getting through to them, so he stopped speaking.

And it went on like that for months, maybe even years. He had no idea how long he had actually been in prison. Feeling isolated and alone, trying to forget about his past. It would only hurt him more knowing the truth about the curse because then he'd also know he couldn't fix it. Not now. Not in this weak, helpless state.

Suddenly, Link heard cranking of a machine, followed by a painful sting on his side. He let out a small yelp, but was able to keep it at a low volume. Although the whip caused small stings of torment on a daily basis, Link found that they could actually be quite helpful. Occasionally he would subconsciously let his mind wander, making up scenarios in his head of the day he escaped this jail. The whip's sting made him snap back to reality, letting the obscure thoughts that gave him false hope leave his mind.

Sure, hope can be good because it can make you driven, but it doesn't make much of a difference if you're chained up in a prison no one knows about.

Link heard his stomach growl, and he knew it must have been the middle of the night, since it was probably a long time since he was last given food. He was always fed very well, and sometimes his meals were even hot. The usual was fish, bread, sometimes corn, and cow milk. He had no idea prisoners were fed so well, and he was often so full he could barely even finish the plate of food. He tried to remember if he ever used to eat that well a long time ago before his imprisonment, but snapped back to the real world without the help of a whip.

Despite their ringing, Link's ears were able to hear footsteps above him. He looked up at the ceiling as he followed the sounds, and his eyes landed to where the door in the ceiling was. The door opened, but to his surprise no beams of light escaped from the room above him.

Someone was sneaking in.

Link began to get a bit nervous. He tried not to move, because he figured the unwanted visitor was thinking he was asleep, or possibly dead, so he imitated both of the options with silence.

He tried to comfort himself. Maybe this person was for maintenance, possibly cleaning, and he was always sleeping when they came so he never knew that someone came in at night. Or maybe they had to fix the whip machine…? No, he had just been lashed a few minutes ago….

Footsteps. Eerie footsteps. Slowly the creature approached, with each step about two seconds apart from the other.

They increasingly got louder, and Link started to panic. As silently as he could, he wiped the sweat from his brow on his mildly blood-crusted arm, and listened as the racing of his heart became so loud that he feared the unwanted visitor could hear.

Then he heard it breathing. With each step it got closer, its slow breathing only made Link's speed up. It was now evident, he realized, that he was wide awake.

His eyes flickered from left to right, with the hope of maybe his sight would somehow improve. But he was still blinded by the darkness. He felt his ears pounding in unison with his rapid beating heart, almost drowning out the footsteps, which sounded like they had the potential to be right in front of his face.

Then they stopped. The being must have been right in front of him, but he couldn't see anything whatsoever. Nor could he defend himself, for he was thoroughly chained to the wall, completely vulnerable.

He hadn't even realized he was shaking until he felt a steady hand being placed across his mouth, preventing him from speaking, as if he had the strength to do so.

"Link," the creature said. It sounded like a deeper woman's voice, and it was steady, despite the seemingly heavy breathing she'd been doing a moment ago. "Lord Dagianis has died, and the curse has been lifted. Your destiny begins now."

The woman removed her cold hand from Link's face and swiftly glided to the door she came through. She came so slowly, and left so quickly.

But he still felt comforted, for that was the first time he had heard someone's voice in what seemed to be years. If Link's theory was true, and if Dagianis was really dead, he could be out of this ageless darkness soon. But for all he knew, the woman may have been an enemy, and could have given him false hope; the one thing he was trying to get away from for so long.

And once again, Link was left alone with more questions. With no one to answer them.


	3. Release

**Ok. I lied. I just couldn't wait to post another one! Plus this chapter ends with a better place to leave it off for a while, so I just convinced myself to do it. I just couldn't help it. I'm weak.**

**Anyways, this chapter shows what I was saying with the quotes. I did use them from the manga, but I added a lot. See, what I'm trying to do is have it so that if you read the manga it still makes sense, it relates to Skyward Sword, possibly references future games, and includes my own story lines... Do you have any idea how hard that is?**

**Sorry, I feel like I'm rambling. Enjoy!**

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"Link…"

Link's eyes opened, but then closed once he remembered that it didn't make any difference. He was used to the constant darkness.

"Link the Hero…" said the same voice.

Hero? He had been in prison for years, chained to a wall. Why was somebody calling him a hero?

He heard the echoing of footsteps, followed by a clanking sound. He felt pressure come off of the area around his ankles, and then someone had put a bottle to his lips, fording him to drink a beverage that was filled with the bitter aftertaste of heart potion. He immediately regained a bit of feeling in his legs, but not at all enough to support his body.

The next thing he knew, he felt his left arm drop, and his shoulder ached in rejection to that motion, since it literally hadn't been by his side in ages. But he didn't have the strength to hold it up, so he had no choice but to let it dangle next to him in agony.

Only his right arm was supporting his body weight, until the chain was loosened, and he came crashing on the rock solid ground. His head throbbed even more than it already had been before, and he somehow managed to drag himself to a position where he could lie on his side.

The floor was cold on his face; But he had never been more relieved to lie down on a rocky, chilling surface than at that moment. His hands regained feeling, and he rubbed them across the ground, and began to wonder why there seemed to be paint chipping off of it.

And then he realized it wasn't paint.

It was his old, crusted blood.

Despite the torment that shot through his body, he was glad that he was picked up from the floor. The idea that he was laying in a dried pool of blood wasn't a very comforting thought to him. Two people had both of his arms wrapped around their necks to support him. That made his shoulders feel a little better; a position he was now used to.

The same voice that had spoken to him earlier started again. "The man who deceived you, Lord Dagianis, has been killed by the Demon King."

Link was surprised that he had the ability to speak. It was probably the affects of the heart potion. "And how do you know that?" he asked almost rudely.

It was a valid question. If the Demon King was in the demon realm, then how would they possibly know if Lord Dagianis was dead?

There was a short pause, and then he continued. "There will be time to explain in the future. We need a hero now. Please, come out into the sun. The Demon Army will soon be upon us."

"It was you who said you had no need for a powerful hero," Link began, with a ragged sound in his throat. "And now you're telling me to fight? It's been too long. My sword is broken. I can't even run anymore." Link was trying to make himself seem stronger. _Run_. It was almost humorous. He couldn't even stand up on his own.

"That little misunderstanding has been cleared up. Everyone now realizes that your premonition of danger was correct." Link held back, but he almost sarcastically laughed at the word "little". He's been trapped by chains in a dark prison for who knows how long, and to him, it felt like it could have been mistaken for an eternity or hell. "Little" was the last word he would use to describe the situation.

But at least now he knew he was right. There actually was a curse, and now they can finally understand their wrongdoings. At least he had something to be pleased about.

He continued to talk to Link. "Only you can repel the Demon King and protect the land of Hylia!" he said with what seemed to be a tone of desperation.

Link refrained from asking the question that inquired why only he could defeat the Demon King, because he was able to figure it out on his own.

He was the only human to ever look evil in the face in the form of a being. He'd seen what no one else had, and even though he failed, if anyone ever had the capabilities of defeating evil, it was him. And he, along with everyone else, was well aware of that.

Link whispered the word "Okay," and he could hear faint sighs of relief. They must have been afraid Link would have denied their request to save the land of Hylia.

Before he knew it, the people holding him up began walking forward, and Link's feet dragged behind them. The door in the ceiling opened, revealing a bright light that became more painful to look at with each step they took. Link wasn't at all used to this light intensity, so once they neared the door, he shut his eyes and tightened them the closer they got.

The light was directly above him, and he felt two other people grabbing his arms and pulling him upward. He hated feeling weak and having to let the others do all the work of what he should have been able to do himself for him, but he didn't have any other choice.

Once he was on the wooden floor of the aboveground surface and the knights let go of his hands, Link immediately covered his eyes; he felt as if they were melting out. It was like he'd been looking into the sun for an hour. He didn't feel like he was built for this intensity of light. It was so unnatural.

After about ten minutes of lying there, he slowly removed his hands away from his face, but refused to open his eyelids. It was still too much.

He was carried to what felt like a couch, and he partially forgot how to even sit properly on one. But it's not like it mattered. I didn't have the strength to adjust himself anyways, so he remained slumped in his seat. He prayed to Hylia that somehow, someway, he would regain the ability to see like he had before.

Link observed his surroundings with his other senses. He could feel the couch below him, which he came to appreciate considering how long it had been since he had actually felt something soft. He could smell dust, but found it easier to breathe anyways. There was ringing in his ears, but for all that he could tell, there was complete silence. Not a word was spoken since he had emerged from the underground, nor did he hear anything else.

After a few minutes of sitting, he finally allowed himself to open his eyes, wanting to let his world of darkness light up again. They slowly began to flutter open, and the moment Link thought would never come again, came.

The harsh lighting still stung, but it was marvelous nonetheless. It was dazzling, but was even more impressive was what the light revealed.

Color.

All Link has ever known for the most recent years of his life was black. The dull, tedious life of endless, murky obsidian. The ability to see color again was miraculous, and he hadn't even realized how much he missed it until now. He was ecstatic, despite the fact he was located in a dull shack-like building. He was pleased, even if the colors only varied from brown to gray hues.

The shack was small, and was filled with knights. Link recognized some of their faces, but refused to look at a single one for too long. He didn't want to see the faces of his past friends that had betrayed him; he could practically see the hurt and regret in their eyes. He wanted to avoid anything to do with sympathy right now. He knew that it wouldn't change anything.

"Here is your weapon," one of the knights had said, holding out a sword. "Orville has seen to its care for the last four years." That was the first time Link heard how long he'd actually been in prison. Four years. _How everything must have changed_, Link thought.

The knight holding Orville got down on his knee and held it out to Link. "Hero Link," he said. Link silently shivered, and from what his weak eyes could tell, no one had noticed. It would take a while to get used to that. _Hero_.

"It is my honor to present you with this blade." He lifted the sword in front of Link. Orville seemed brand new; he couldn't even tell it had been broken in battle. It had clearly been cleaned and polished, from the blade to the hilt, which Link assumed was only for the presentation for the "hero".

Link found the strength to lift his arm and stroked the smooth side of the blade. The last thing he wanted to do was to use this weapon again in battle, but he could see he had no choice. He was not going to let an evil power overtake and overpower everything he knew and loved. Not again.

"I thought that, now, I could rest quietly…" Link began. His hand found the hilt of the sword, and he held it in a firm grip.

Then, something extraordinary happened. He felt a rush in his body, and whether it was adrenaline or something else, it allowed him movement. He felt his legs, feet, then toes. But he didn't feel pain. He felt strong.

He sat straight up, and the other knights jumped forward to help, surprised by this unexpected movement. Link waved them off, signaling that he didn't need assistance. They understood, and slowly backed away, still looking at Link in astonishment.

He grabbed the edge of the couch with his right hand, and began to lift himself. Before he knew it he was standing; his were feet firmly on the ground, and he didn't quake or struggle. He showed no signs of movement quivering from his current position whatsoever.

His left hand remained tightly on the hilt of Orville. "But if you wake the lion, he _will_ bare his fangs!" Link raised his sword skyward, and he heard loud cheers emitting from the knights around him.

His broken body stood in the middle of the crowd, triumphant. Hylia had given him the strength to not only have sight again as he had asked, but she blessed him with the ability to stand exultant among his fellow knights.

He would not back down from the fight against darkness. He would accept his new title as the Hero.

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**Just wanted to say thank you to all who favorited, reviewed, and/or followed! Each one means a lot to me, so thanks! :)**


	4. A Familiar Face

**Finally new chapter! Sorry I thought I would be on top of things a bit more, but I fail.**

**But when I was editing it, I kinda realized it was long and a slight bit boring... I apologize. But important stuff happens and sets things up for later, so it actually is important.**

**I hope the next one won't take as long, but again, I fail, so I can't say that for sure :/**

**Anyways, enjoy! :)**

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Walking, now that was a challenge.

Yes, the goddess had given his broken body the ability to stand without even a wince, but that didn't change the fact that his legs still felt as heavy as tree trunks. Not using your legs for four years tends to do that to you, he figured.

After accepting the blade that he had been presented to defeat evil with, the knight commander – who definitely appeared to be much older than what Link had once known him as – directed for a few of the knights to escort Link back to his house.

He walked slowly with a horrible limp, but Link was able to make it through the narrow doorway of the creaky shack. Once he was outside, he was blinded by awe.

The grass was a luscious green; waving majestically in the breeze of the fresh, clean air. He hadn't been able to breathe good air in ages, and he definitely appreciated it now. His attention was drawn to the clear blue sky, without a cloud in sight. The sun was beating down on him, which helped dry the sweat that had formed on his sensitive, pale skin while he was underground.

He looked straight ahead and saw the bright colors of the roofs of houses, which lined the road that he had to go on to reach his house. There were beautiful flowers, serving the purpose for landscaping the small yards, which held the smiling faces of children that were playing joyfully.

Well, they were smiling until they saw Link, anyways.

Their eyes became wide and filled with fear as they slowly backed away from the road, and the older children put their arms around the younger as a shield for protection, just in case. The sight of a prisoner bathed in sweat, blood and grime surrounded by four knights was definitely not the most pleasing sight.

Link felt bad for frightening them, but there was nothing he could do about it. Without staring for too long, he tried to look at some of them to see if he could recognize any of their faces.

Being a knight, he used to be friends with everyone, and the children always seemed to have a liking towards him. He himself was a bit frightened that none of them had recognized him, and that they seemed to be avoiding him at all costs. Sure, he must have aged a bit perhaps along with his foul stench as a result of his current hygiene, but it was strange how none of them wanted anything to do with him.

They walked through the seemingly empty town – except Link who limped, rather – until they came upon Link's house. It was small, but it was still larger than Link had remembered it being. The walls were made of stone, stuck together many years ago with cement, which now seemed to be chipping off a bit. The roof was made of wood, which his father had made by himself when he was still alive.

Fresh green grass and yellow flowers surrounded the base of the house. It was as if someone had been taking care of it. Link looked at it curiously, but ignored it after a few moments.

They were on the stone path that led to the front door when he heard a knight behind him say his name. He turned to face the man that had addressed him, and to no surprise, his face was unfamiliar.

"I am required to tell you that tomorrow the knight commander wishes to bring you to the castle to show you the current condition of our army and where we stand in this battle." he said with a flat tone. "You have until then to get settled into your house. Someone will be by to escort you there in the morning."

Link nodded his head and took a few steps towards the door. He slowly turned the knob with his bloodied hand, and the door swung open with the help of a strong breeze that caressed Link's skin.

He took a step on the wooden floor, and it made the same squeaking sound on the third panel just as it always had ever since he was little. He looked up and saw his old kitchen, which was surprisingly clean. Not that he often left it dirty, but it seemed to be lacking in the dust and webs he had been expecting. Someone was definitely cleaning his house for him, and he was grateful considering how weak he was.

He leaned on the round, light brown table in the middle of the kitchen, fearing he would lose his balance from the possible failure of whatever overcame him in the shack of where his prison was below. He was strong, but limping was all he could manage. He turned around and looked out the window next to the door to find a knight's back, which he supposed was guarding anyone from getting in. Or out.

_They don't trust me yet_, Link thought. But he understood. He himself wasn't too sure he'd trust a prisoner of four years who'd just found freedom again. Especially when he actually had a reason to turn against those around him, since they had turned against him in the first place.

To his left he saw his old bookshelf filled with various genres, and his chair with armrests, which is usually where he used to read at when he had the time. Beyond the bookshelf was his dresser filled with knight apparel, a nightstand with a lamp on it, and his bed.

Link wanted to sleep, but he remembered how hungry he was last night. He slowly walked over to his pantry, which to his surprise was full of food. He found that the only thing appetizing – at the moment, anyways – to be a box of saltine crackers. He sat at the table and ate a few, along with a glass of water that he had gotten from the old sink that had clearly rusted while he had been gone. Someone may have stocked him up on food and cleaned his house, but only just recently, it seemed like.

After eating, he went into his small bathroom to take a quick shower. He walked in and turned on the lights. He closed the door behind him and looked forward, and then slammed his back against the closed door, mortified by what he saw.

A man-like beast stood in front of him, and it seemed like it had the potential to be extremely vicious and violent. The hair on top of its head reached down to the top of his neck, and the hair on its face resembled a bush. Its face was stained with dirt, dry blood, sweat and grime, and was completely appalling. It took him a few moments to realize he was actually looking in a mirror; the horrific beast was his own reflection.

Startled, he took a step closer to the mirror, and brought his right hand to his chin to stroke his beard. He'd never even thought about shaving until this moment. Facial hair had never came to him easily, so he figured it'd be nothing to worry about. The hair on his head was curly and tangled, and it was the longest it had ever been.

Now he understood why all the children were afraid of him.

He was able to get into the hot shower, and clean off the dried blood and dirt that he had been collecting for years. He had no idea what a real shower felt like until now. Refreshing, relieving, and he actually felt stronger. But he thought he may have just been making that up in his corrupted mind, and that four years trapped underground just may make you a bit delusional.

After he dried off, he got a pair of scissors on a small rectangular table near the front door. He bent over the bathroom sink, looked into the mirror to decide what to cut first, and hair started falling. Left and right, Link's hair had covered the sink and even some of the floor. Then he shaved his face, to which he was surprised he didn't cut himself considering it had been a long time since he'd done it. He now approved of what he saw back as he stared at his reflection.

He set his dirty clothes in a basket for laundry, which he'd do later; he was far too exhausted to deal with it now. He put on a plain white shirt and sweats, and then swept up the hair that had made it to the floor.

Once everything was cleaned up, he finally decided that there was nothing else he had to do right now. He looked at his bed, decorated with soft blankets and feather pillows, and felt his eyes droop. He walked to his bed, got under the covers, and was dead to the world as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

When Link woke up, he nearly broke the lamp on the nightstand next to his bed. He frantically tried to pull the switch to turn it on, without any regards to the damage he almost caused.

Once the room was filled with the lamplight, he felt his heartbeat start to slow down. It was the first night he was spending out of the dreadful prison he had been accustomed to for the past four years. He was used to the darkness, but he couldn't help but feel vulnerable and unprotected. He remembered the it well, but still couldn't stand the thought of the unknown; because that's all darkness was. The unknown.

He cursed himself. This is what only a little girl should be afraid of; The dark. He hated for being scared of something so harmless, and he hated everyone for putting him into such a situation. But he had to remind himself that it wasn't their fault; it was Dagianis's. And that's who he should be infuriated with right now, not his fellow knights that were under a spell in which they could not control.

He looked out the window, and it took until then for him to realize that it was pitch black outside, except for the faint moonlight that emitted from the sky. It must have been the early afternoon when he'd got to his house… Did he really sleep through the entire day?

He then remembered that someone was supposed to come by in the morning to take him to the castle. He hoped that it was someone he trusted… but then he thought, _Who can I even trust anymore?_

Suddenly becoming aware of his fatigue, despite the fact that he had rested all day, he decided to sleep until morning, since there was really nothing else to do anyways. It's not like he could leave with guards on his doorstep.

And for the rest of the night, he slept with the light on.

* * *

At the break of dawn, Link was wide awake. His eyes weren't fully adjusted to light, even though the lamp was on all night. The intensity of the sun's rays was colossal in comparison. After turning it off, he looked into the kitchen and saw a man sitting at his table, eating what had the aroma of what he remembered to be eggs.

Link rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in his bed, still as weary as before. The man sitting turned around and, to Link's surprise, he gave him a smile. That was something he hadn't seen, or done, in years.

"Good morning!" he said, still smiling.

"Morning," Link mumbled.

The man came to Link's bedside, carrying the chair he had been sitting in before. A moment passed, and he looked at Link curiously. "Do you recognize me?" he asked. "Just curious…."

Did he recognize him? It was years since he'd seen anyone, so wouldn't anyone he had known have grown a lot, much like himself? He was only 18 when he was imprisoned, and being 22 was definitely a change physically. But it was hard for him to tell if his changes were due to his age or because he had been living underground in complete darkness and isolation.

Link looked at the man closely. He had dark brown hair, deep blue eyes, and his skin only a little more tan – most likely because of his exposure to sunlight – than Link's. He probably wouldn't have known who it was if it weren't for his gold tunic and blue shoulder guards.

"Ryker," Link breathed, relieved he finally knew someone, considering he couldn't even identify his own reflection. Finally, a familiar face.

"Good to see you, man!" Ryker said as he held out his hand for Link to clasp, and once he did he gave him a brief friendly hug. They pulled away from each other and Ryker started to speak again. "I'm actually kind of surprised you recognized me…."

"I didn't really," Link admitted. "Your uniform was what gave it away." They both laughed at the memory.

A long time ago, Ryker's girlfriend, Ginger, constantly bantered him for his choice in armor. He chose blue steel, which wasn't so much to her liking. She always told him how badly it matched with his gold tunic, but he never really cared what anyone else thought. Ginger didn't mind, though; the two of them always made fun of each other, and many of the knights were a bit jealous of how happy they were together.

But that didn't stop all the other knights from giving him a hard time about the armor. After everyone caught on to her disapproval, they pretended to do the same. Especially Link – who better than your best friend and your girlfriend to make fun of you?

Finally, once their laughing ceased, Ryker decided to return to his duty. "Alright," he said, looking at his watch. "We have to be at the castle in about an hour and a half, and I have to make sure you eat and wash up, which shouldn't take too long. But based on what the guards told me, it'll take a while to walk there." He paused to look at Link and then continued. "Do you think you can get up on your own?"

"Yeah," Link grunted as he attempted to move his stiff legs off of the side of the bed, which he was slowly able to do. His legs didn't hurt, but they were difficult to maneuver nonetheless.

Taking note of this, Ryker held out his hand to help Link stand up. Link accepted the gesture, and used all of his strength to get himself on two feet.

Ryker shook his head in disapproval. "We need to get you back in shape," he joked, patting his back.

Link dragged himself to his bathroom to get dressed, and even put his heavy, gold armor on. He knew he was probably too weak to do so, but he wanted to prove himself worthy of the task before him. If he could appear strong when he had every right not to, then he could defeat those of the dark realm, even if he was vastly outnumbered.

After eating leftover eggs that Ryker had made, they both set off for their slow walk to the castle. They both knew it would take awhile, so about half way to the castle Ryker decided to engage in conversation, but he didn't want to bring up their slow pace, for Link's sake.

"So," Ryker started, "were you surprised by all the food in your house?" It was the only thing he could think of that may not have made Link upset by making him think of his disconnection from the world.

Link didn't mind the silence prior to the sentence – he was never much of a talker, so quiet wasn't exactly awkward for him – but he answered his best friend with the truth. "Yeah. I just thought everyone forgot about me, you know?"

Guilt flashed across Ryker's face. After all, he'd been under the curse's influences too. "Yeah… I'm sorry about that…" he mumbled as he looked down, and Link could see the shamefulness he must have been feeling.

"Don't be. It's not like it was your fault."

"I know, but just the thought of being trapped underground when everyone is against you…" Ryker said, starting to get a bit choked up. "It's disturbing to think about."

"I don't want you to feel sympathy for me," Link started. "All that matters is that I'm here now, and not you or anyone else is against me. We can fight this battle together." Ryker looked at him in surprise for reassurance that he had actually said that. Link was so wise and powerful, even after being through four years of hell. It was evident to anyone with eyes: only Link was strong enough to defeat darkness, and only he had what it took to stop it in its tracks.

"Anyways," Link said, trying to change the subject, "What's new with you?"

"Hmm… nothing too big I don't think."

"How's Ginger?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ryker exclaimed, suddenly remembering something important. "We're engaged!" Ryker said with the biggest smile on his face that Link had ever seen. "I proposed about a month ago, and she said yes!"

Link raised his eyebrows. "And that's not 'too big'?" he joked with a smile. "Congrats!"

"Thanks. And that reminds me of something I've been meaning to ask you…." he said hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"Well… I was just wondering if maybe… you wanted to be my best man."

Link froze. He knew absolutely nothing about being a best man, but he was pleased nonetheless. "Ryker," he breathed. "Really, I'm honored, but I have no idea how to be a best man, or what he does. You really think I could do it?"

"Link I wouldn't want anyone else to do it!" he stated. "It's all right, later I'll stop by your place and tell you all about it. So do you want to do it?"

"Absolutely!" Link exclaimed.

"Thank goddess! Because I've been planning this for awhile and I couldn't figure out who else would-"

"Wait," Link interrupted, "You've been planning this for awhile? Like how long?"

"Well," Ryker started, "Just a few weeks before I proposed…."

"So, I was still in prison?" Link asked curiously, trying to grasp the thought for understanding.

"Well, yeah! I mean I was still under the darkness's influence, but I was holding onto the hope that maybe you would be out by the wedding. Really, if you think about it, the only reason you were locked up was because they thought you were crazy… not that you committed a mortiferous crime really. I mean, of course I thought that you were crazy too, but that didn't change the fact that you were my best friend." he said matter-of-factly.

Link fell completely silent. The thought of someone thinking about him with compassion, even when they were possessed by evil, astounded him. When all hope was lost, there was still someone out there that didn't despise him.

Even… _liked_ him.

Link looked to the sky, trying to gather his thoughts together. _Someone actually cared about me_, he thought, astonished. Even when all the world was against him, the light, although dim, still shined through the darkness of eternity.

That thought alone gave him the hope and ambition to somehow, someway, win this battle in which the odds were not in his favor.

And he was so eager to be victorious that by the time they would reach the castle, Ryker would be out of breath from trying to keep up with Link.

* * *

**Just curious... who got the Hunger Games reference? Anyone? (Best. Book. EVER.)**


	5. The Monster

**Chapter 5 is finally up! Whew, took long enough... And sorry for the last one being boring, but it was important. This one's better, but I really can't wait to get into fluffiness! Hopefully next chapter, but I've barely started writing it, so maybe I'll be able to put some in.**

**Anyways, I'll stop now... See you at the end!**

* * *

"And you said _I_ was the one not in shape," Link panted as Ryker caught up with him. They leaned against the outer walls that guarded castle town, recovering from their lack of energy after their run.

Ryker was breathing heavily as well; still surprised that Link could gather enough energy to make it there before he did. At first Link was just fast walking, but then he began to feel the adrenaline that turned into a run, which clearly began to form a game between him and Ryker.

"You barely won," Ryker said defensively, but still jokingly nonetheless. "If you can do things like that more often, then maybe it'll be the bokoblins with the disadvantage instead of us."

Link looked at him with a hint of confusion. "What about the chuchus? And the deku babas, octoroks, moblins? Are they still here?"

"Yeah, they're just not as big as of a threat," Ryker said. "And don't forget the keese."

Link sighed in disgust. "Stupid keese," he mumbled, remembering what an annoyance they were.

Ryker nodded in agreement. "There's also other enemies in Lanayru and Eldin, but hopefully we'll be able to take down their leader so they won't be a problem."

The thought of Lanayru and Eldin with the presence of danger had abandoned Link's mind completely. Only deported knights with years of experience had to defend those areas, and was never of great concern to Link. The only time it had affected him was when his father had died fighting a group of moblins on his own in Eldin. Consequently, this made Link want to avoid deportations at all costs after the incident. All the other knights knew this as well, so they had never actually planned on making Link serve in any other areas other than Faron in the first place.

Ryker, forgetting about what happened with Link's father, tried to change the subject. Link didn't really mind, but it wasn't the best thing to be thinking about before meeting the knight commander, who wanted to talk about fighting the cause of his father's death.

"You know," Ryker said, trying to make the conversation lighter again, "After this we should go to sword training, maybe get you to be good with a blade again. But not too hard; this is the first day after all…." Link just nodded in agreement, knowing what Ryker was trying to do.

Out of nowhere, a well-rounded man that seemed to be in his mid-forties approached Link and Ryker eagerly. "What are you two standing around for?" he exclaimed jokingly. "Come on, we have work to do!" he said as he pushed the two young knights up a stairway that led to the top of the wall, which surrounded the castle and its prosperous town at its base.

"Hershel, stop!" Ryker exclaimed, laughing all the way to the where everyone was positioned, which was near arch above the entrance to the castle town. They both scrambled to get away from his grip, but just went along with it after awhile. He was very strong and they had no reason to over power him anyways. He guided them like little kids; something Link missed after receiving so many responsibilities that came with knighthood.

Link had no idea who Hershel was, but he liked him already. He was glad to have a good laugh with his best friend after such a long time.

Before they knew it they were standing face to face with the knight commander, whose face actually held some familiarity with Link. He was older; definitely experienced enough to hold the title of knight commander. He wore a brown tunic with silver armor on just his shoulders, and a red cape like link's that blew majestically in the slight breeze. He also had a hat matching his uniform, which many knights owned but was not mandatory to wear, so they didn't. Link and him were one of the few to wear such clothing on any given day.

"Hershel," the knight commander stated. His old face did not match with his strong, powerful voice. "Thank you for your services of escorting these two young men," he said with small smile growing on his face.

"My pleasure," he said as he saluted the older man.

"Although, I only wish to speak with Link for now."

"Oh, so you want me to get rid of this thing right here?" he said, putting his hands on Ryker's shoulders. "Not a problem!" He bent down and grabbed Ryker's legs with one arm, and the other around his torso. Before Link knew it, he was carrying Ryker away, who knew to not even waste his energy to escape his grasp, and could only laugh along with other surrounding knights.

"That's Hershel," the knight commander said, causing Link to now focus his attention on him. "As you can tell he's the clown around here, always picking us up when we're down…."

"Literally," Link chuckled.

"Ah—yes, indeed. It's a shame you haven't known him long…. He was deported to Lanayru until last year. It's nice having someone around here that can keep a smile on hopeless townspeople. Even the knights enjoy his company. Gives them a boost."

There was a short silence. Link looked out to the vast land in which the front of the castle faced, noticing some knights at the foot of the wall occasionally glancing at him—some subtler than others. As if they were witnessing a celebrity, and trying not to make it obvious they knew he was there.

"Are you wondering why I wanted you to come here?" the commander asked suspiciously.

"All they told me—I think—is that you wanted to show me where we were in terms of the war," Link said, trying to recall yesterday which was anything but clear to him.

"Yes, and I know probably the last thing you want to do is assist us, but we could really use your help," he began, "We know you told the truth. We know you've already seen evil straight in the eye, and no one alive could possibly know as much as you do. If anyone could eliminate the darkness forevermore, it would be you.

"Right now, we're noticing an abundant increase of bokoblins. It's getting worse and worse everyday, it seems. We're not losing many knights, but there are so many, it's hard to tell what the near future holds…" he said, pausing shortly, then continuing. "It's getting harder. They know that. I know that. _Everyone_ knows that. And I'm not quite sure what we need. But there was something that struck my mind, and I think you already know…."

"You want me to lead them," Link said, not breaking his gaze from the large, grassy field before him. "To be a king. A hero."

"Of sorts, yes," the commander said, obviously with the enthusiasm that made it evident that this was his only hope. "You don't need to label yourself as a king; you are only a knight. A strong one at that, but still. We all need guidance, and everyone knows you're capable of it. That's why they keep looking up here—" he gestured towards the crowd that now had many people facing him. "They need a hero. Their hearts are changing, and they need to put their faith into something. Into you." There was another short pause. "Again, I'm sorry Link for asking so much of you, but I don't even know if I have any other choice…." There was then a silence in which none of them said anything, leaving them both to think about the commander's request.

His words genuinely surprised Link. Sure, he knew he needed to be a good knight and lead them, but he had no idea it was needed to this extent. Could he really be the hero to an entire population?

But he already accepted his title as a hero. He made the commitment, and he was well aware of the sacrifice that that included. But he knew that he wouldn't be fully alone.

He looked up to the sky and closed his eyes to pray. _Ah, my dear old Hylia_, he said to himself_, Even though people's hearts can change, the beauty, pride and purity of this land never will_.

He had prayed to Hylia before, so he knew she would be able to hear him, loud and clear. _If you have need of me, I will fight forever to defend you_.

Link opened his eyes, only to find that every knight below him—even the ones on the wall with him—were now looking at him for inspiration. Link took hold of the hilt of his sword that was on his back, and raised his blade skyward as he shouted, "Together we fight, children of Hylia!"

There was a load of cheering and hollering of joy in response. Link was satisfied with himself, and placed Orville back in its sheath as everyone continued to cheer and chant his name.

Suddenly, a strong breeze came from the open field, and made everyone turn to look at its source; but it was still the same vast, empty land as before. Confusion swept their faces, and even Link found himself completely puzzled. It was definitely not a natural wind. It was far to abrupt and strong for that.

As they kept their gaze on the field, the clouds above began to part, creating a massive hole in the sky. The light from the sun radiated on their faces, blinding them from what this strange phenomenon was.

"What's that over there?" Link heard random voices speaking as he tried to recover the glares that corrupted his eyesight.

"A bird?"

"It's coming this way!"

"It's a monster!"

Link finally recovered, and indeed did see a strange creature descend from the hole in the sky. It resembled a large, bloodstained bird and had a trail of gold blowing in the wind behind it.

"It's a monster come to attack us!"

The knight commander reacted immediately. "Fire at will!" he shouted so loud that Link thought those that lived in the castle could probably hear him.

"Wait!" Link yelled impulsively, still unsure of the beast before them. It came closer with each second, making the knights want to defy their hero's orders. "Don't shoot!" As it came closer, Link could see that the golden trail that flowed in the wind was actually human hair. "There's someone riding it!"

The mysterious creature landed out in the field, and just as Link had confirmed, someone dismounted the giant bird. Link instinctively made his way to the field to meet the creature, unaware that the knight commander was following him for back up. He was too determined and curious to notice.

Link walked through the crowds of knights, and they easily parted for him, leading straight to the red 'monster', as someone had called it. Among the crowd were Ryker and Hershel, who joined the commander in following Link, knowing no one else would assist him so fearlessly.

They got closer with every step, and before they knew it, they were feet away from a gargantuan, red bird and a woman standing next to it, with long golden hair and a white dress. The four men's jaws dropped as she turned around so they looked at her fully. She was incredibly beautiful; much more so than ever thought possible. Her deep, blue eyes shined with the brightest hues, almost blindingly noticeable. Even Link, who hadn't even thought of any women of being beautiful for such a long time, since its been years since he's even seen a woman, couldn't help but stare at the glorious being in front of him.

"I am the white goddess, Hylia." she said with a smooth, young voice.

_So that's why she's so beautiful_, Link thought, _She's the goddess!_

Hylia gestured towards the bird. "This is a Loftwing, a bird of the gods." It was after this statement that Link found himself able to cease staring at the goddess and finally blink again.

The other men behind him, however, could not say the same. "A goddess?!" he heard the commander say, ignoring her introduction to the loftwing.

"It's the goddess that watches over Hylia!"

_Hmph_, Link heard a deep voice say, and it wasn't his own. _These Hylians are useless. You do not even know the difference between a monster and a god! What worthless creatures humans are._

Link had no idea where this voice was coming from, but he knew it was not human considering the insults he was hearing about their race.

_Surely the one I seek cannot be found within this lower realm. The one who can fight with me against the Demon King… my true rider! He cannot be here, Hylia!_

Link was now aware that the voice belonged to the loftwing. But why could only he hear it? Well, Hylia, the beautiful goddess probably could too, but why only them?

He tried to ignore that thought as his rage for the loftwing's insults started to get the better of him. He needed to defend everyone... and himself.

"Worthless creatures?!" he shouted to the winged beast, and everyone stared at him in confusion, for they had not heard any of its thoughts. "If you're looking for people to fight with you, you've found them! We _will_ defeat the Demon King!"

The loftwing lowered its beak, which was held up in arrogance before, and proceeded to communicate. _Oh, and who might you be?_

"I am Link," he said, and then hesitated for a moment, "a knight of Hylia. To the eyes of the gods, humans may be small, but… There are those among us who boast great courage!"

Hylia watched Link intently, impressed that he could hear the loftwing. She knew he was different, and started to pay extra close attention to him. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to pounce at any moment. He would not let some arrogant bird insult his people.

_If that is so, then prove to me your worth!_

Link unsheathed his blade, and quickly neared the loftwing, furious. But before any damage could be done, the loftwing was in the air, flying far away from where they were.

"Loftwing?" Link mumbled mockingly, "More like a chicken."

Hylia remained unmoved, despite the battle that Link had almost caused, just feet away from her. She looked towards the massive crowd before her and began to speak. "The fearsome Demon King will soon lay waste to the surface world with the fires of destruction," she said with a strong voice that did not match her delicate and gorgeous face. "I cannot allow my country and people to be destroyed like this. My people, there is a place for you in the sky." She paused and looked at Link. "The Loftwing seeks a rider."

Link had a hard time comprehending what she'd said. A place in the sky? How in the world would they even get there?

"The sky?!" Link heard one of the knights yell in disgust. He looked at them and could tell by their faces that they were not fond of the idea.

Link knew he had to be the one to answer for everyone else. He looked at Hylia and responded, "Sorry, but we're not birds." He then looked at the now red dot in the sky that was the bird. "And the loftwing has already taken his leave."

He then turned towards the castle and began to cut through the crowd, abandoning Hylia to speak with the commander, who he figured would probably speak more reasonably. The fact that he had said 'no' to the goddess, and threatened her loftwing, hadn't crossed his mind until he was behind the castle walls. He didn't mean to be rude, but for some reason he knew that was what he came off as.

When he reached the castle town, it all hit him at once. He had spoken to a goddess…. A _goddess_! Why was he standing here? Shouldn't he be there, discussing things with the being that he prayed to, and had helped him so much?

But going back now would make him seem stupid. Like he couldn't make a decision properly. And that's definitely something Hylia wouldn't want to see; a lack in decision making skills.

And then he thought about Hylia; the beautiful goddess that could make any man turn their heads to face her, and would do _anything_ to be around her.

And then he wished that he hadn't left her. The—no, _his_ goddess.

* * *

**Yeah so I really wasn't sure how to end it, but I think that will suffice :)**

**Reviews are appreciated! After all, how do I know if I need to improve or if I'm doing good if no one tells me? Keep that in mind! :P**


	6. Company

**Sorry this is up so late! I had finals to study for and ugh, I was a mess. But I'm here now, ready for this chapter to be read!**

**Oh & thank you to anyone who reviewed! I really got me motivated to write the second I got out of school, and just wanted to let you know they're appreciated!**

* * *

Link winced the second Ryker put the ice pack on his skin-torn leg, right below his left knee. He had already placed a bandage there, which only ceased the bleeding by a small amount.

"Sorry," Ryker apologized, hating to have to see his friend—and hero, frankly—in so much pain. "I told you not to push yourself too hard during training!"

Link rolled his eyes, knowing Ryker had been right. He sat at his small kitchen table, holding the ice against his wound. The sweat running down his chest and back from using too much of his energy certainly did not make him feel any better.

"I know," Link said in defeat, "I just thought that maybe I could handle it better."

After Link had left Hylia to speak with the other knights, he headed towards sword training practices, trying to get his mind off things, and so he could recover his once excellent sword skills.

But it wasn't quite as simple as he remembered.

He knew very well how to wield a sword properly, but his speed had been a major hindrance to him. He'd insisted the knight he was training with to use real swords to fight him with. He soon learned that that was a really bad idea, and he overestimated himself.

Of course the knight that wounded him felt really bad about it, but Link knew it was entirely his fault, so he didn't get angry with him or anything; he just walked away, and Ryker soon found him walking home with a severe limp.

"Well," Ryker said as he cleaned Link's wounded leg from blood with a wet towel, "Next time just try to be more careful, ok?"

Link only nodded in response. He would never admit it, but he was embarrassed about making such a dumb mistake.

After a few minutes of Ryker and him sitting in silence, Link wanted to distract himself from his own pain, so he tried to start a conversation.

"So," he began, "how's the wedding planning going?" He was actually curious, since he now had a major part in it.

"Good so far," Ryker stated, now smiling at the mere thought of Ginger. "We were thinking about having it on the front stairs to the castle, and the reception just in the castle town plaza."

"That sounds nice," Link said, happy for his best friend, still with a little bit of strain in his voice.

"Well how about you?"

"Wh-what?" Link questioned.

"You're the best man… have you thought about anything you'll have to do yet?"

"Ryker I already told you I hardly even know what a best man is. Just tell me what I have to do and I'll do it!"

Ryker enjoyed Link's cluelessness, but began to explain what to do regardless. "Well, before the ceremony you really only have to organize the bachelor party. On the day of the wedding you'll make sure everything's on time, hold our rings, give a toast, and maybe even dance with some bridesmaids." Ryker said and gave him a wink after that last part.

Link huffed a laugh while smirking, and blocked out the wink. He was suddenly nervous thinking about the toast he would have to make. He was never one to talk much, and especially now since nobody trusted him at the moment.

"What would you want me to say? At the toast?"

"I'm not sure," Ryker said honestly. "Something about how long Ginger and I have known each other, what love is like, blah blah blah, stuff like that."

Link thought for a moment before speaking again. "I think I've got something better," he started. He held up a saltshaker that was sitting on his table and lifted it up as if it were a glass.

Link began, "I've known these two kids since they fought about what to wear back in the old days. Ginger, you can thank me for prying him out of the yellow uniform and blue armor for today. He was stubborn, as you probably know since he usually is. Cheers!"

Ryker gave him a look, but his humor got the better of him and he grabbed the peppershaker on the table. He lifted it up and exclaimed "cheers!" and Link and him, in unison, tilted their shakers to their face as if taking a drink.

However, Link did not expect some of the salt to land on his lips, causing him to make disgustful faces and to frantically try to wipe his mouth off with his sleeves.

Meanwhile, Ryker's pepper also fell before his face, making him sneeze horribly and frequently.

Despite the situations they were both in, both of them couldn't help but laugh hysterically at the other, and this went on for several minutes.

Their loud laughter was interrupted suddenly by the opening of Link's door. In the doorway stood the knight commander, who held a look of concern. Ryker, without thinking, stood up immediately while all Link could do was turn around in his chair, not quite able to stand yet.

"Link," the man in the doorway started, "would you be willing to keep some company here for awhile?"

Confusion swept across Link's face, wondering what exactly was going on. "Um, sure…. Who is it?"

The knight commander said no words, and simply stepped aside to let the beautiful, golden haired goddess step inside.

Hylia.

Link now, despite the excruciating pain shooting through his left leg that he had been able to distract himself from before, forced himself to stand at the sight of his goddess. Ryker saw his trouble and put Link's arm around his neck, which helped him stand greatly.

"Yeah, she can stay here," Link said as casually as possible, while he was really slowly becoming a nervous wreck inside.

"Sorry, my Hero," Hylia said with that divine voice of hers, "You are the only one I truly know of, therefore the only one I can trust."

"My goddess, you don't have to apologize," said Link, genuinely wondering why she did.

Hylia's focus was on Link's wound. She saw his struggle to stand, and had to shake her head to snap herself out of her trance.

"If you don't mind," she said now directing her attention to Ryker and the knight commander, "Do you think I could speak to Link privately?"

The two men flashed a look at each other, and Ryker lowered Link back onto his chair to join the knight commander outside.

As soon as the door closed, Hylia approached Link and began to take off the bandages on his leg.

"What are you—"

"Shh," Hylia interrupted before he could get his question out.

When she had finished unwrapping the wound, she examined it closely, careful not to touch it.

"This might hurt a bit," she said as she directed her focus from the wound to his face. She hesitantly placed both of her hands on his injury, and Link immediately began to feel the pain she was talking about.

He wanted to scream, but he didn't want to do that in front of her. He could feel his muscles slowly and reluctantly start to come together, the blood running rapidly under his skin, and his temperature rising. To keep from crying or screaming, he held on to the edge of his chair with all of his strength, and he tilted his head back to the ceiling and squeezed his eyes shut.

Hylia remained focused on what she was doing, and he could feel her hands slip slightly from either the liquid of blood or sweat. He wanted to apologize, but he refrained from opening his mouth since he couldn't control himself from shrieking in pain.

After a few moments, the intense stinging ceased, and Link felt no pain anymore. He looked down to see a bloody mess, but no wound.

Hylia made her way to the kitchen sink to wash off the blood and sweat, while Link just stared at his seemingly previously unharmed leg in awe. Not only that, but he could actually feel his entire body. He hadn't been able to do that since before he was thrown into prison.

His legs weren't numb anymore. He could finally walk without trudging behind everyone else. Once he thought of this, he immediately stood up and began to walk. He felt no restrictions. One foot in front of the other was a breeze, unlike before. Maybe he could even _run_ properly.

"So I guess it feels fine now," Hylia said as she turned around after using the sink.

"This is amazing," Link said, truly astounded, "How did you—"

"I'm a goddess Link," Hylia said as a matter-of-factly, "Healing is one of my specialties. But I asked the others to leave because I wanted it to be a secret. If your knight commander saw I feel as though he would make me heal all the wounded soldiers, and I unfortunately don't have time for that."

Link was listening, but extremely ecstatic about his abilities he once again possessed after such a long time. "I—I can't thank you enough!"

"Don't worry about it, just promise me one thing…"

"Anything," Link said, still looking down at his new and improved legs.

"Promise me that tomorrow morning, you'll meet me by the goddess statue? I'd like to give you something, and I feel like that it's the perfect place."

Link was very curious and wanted to just do it now, but he did not question her wishes.

He looked at her in the eyes, gave her a smile, and boldly confirmed, "I promise."

* * *

**Aha, see already making references to Skyward Sword with, the goddess statue. Not sure if either the next chapter or the one after that will have backstory on Link, but one of them will. It's gonna get deep, so don't miss it!**

**Until next time! :)**


	7. Of Swords and Secrets

**Yes, I am still alive! So sorry about the long wait, really. I've had very limited time to work on writing, but I had enough today to finally finish it! Yay!**

**Ok, so another thing I wanted to bring up for anyone who might care. :P Just watched a Nintendo Direct and Wind Waker is being remastered for Wii U! That's awesome, even though I've never played that game. But I'm definitely going to pick this up. Too bad the new Zelda HD seems like it'll take what might as well be a decade, but if it looks anything like the 2011 E3 demo, it'll be worth the wait!**

**Ok, wow...enough rambling, enjoy reading!**

* * *

The walk to the goddess statue was invigorating, yet tiring. Thankfully he was very close to the tall, exquisite sculpture. He loved the way it felt to be physically capable of doing so, but spent all night enjoying the opportunity. He told Hylia he had to attend to his night patrolling duties, even though it wasn't his time to do so.

Nevertheless, despite staying awake and moving hardily all night, he was in considerably good shape. He made his way through the deep forest until he stumbled upon a stone wall that blocked entrance to the statue that was now towering over him.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a few vines that would easily allow him to climb onto the other side of the wall. He suddenly remembered this place as a child; he would come here with Ryker when they were exploring the woods. Occasionally they would find other curious children and would play with them on the stone floor beneath his feet. They were always scolded at for "disrespecting sacred ground", and eventually the walls were built to keep everyone out. Luckily the vines grew fast for Link to climb in, though.

According to what the adults told him as a child, this area contained a small temple—and the statue, of course—made by ancient civilians to honor Hylia and for any usage she may need of it, should she ever decide to come to the land below her. Link smiled at the realization that today was the day, after goddess knows how many years, that she would in fact use it. But there was only one problem: Where _was_ Hylia?

Link's smile vanished at this cognizance and suddenly turned around as if he would find her. No luck. He began searching all over the enclosed area, and even considered entering the temple. He mulled it over, but decided not to enter, because it was _hers_, not his.

He sighed in relief as he looked skyward and saw golden locks of hair that waved in the wind, realizing that Hylia was at the top of the statue. But this led to yet another problem: How in the name of Din was he supposed to get up there?

He started towards the statue, expecting to find some kind of ladder he had missed, when a loud squawking noise blasted his eardrums. Alarmed, he quickly brought his hands to his ears in attempt to block out the awful noise, which gave Hylia's loftwing the perfect opportunity to take Link's wrists into its talons. Link squirmed to try to get his hands free, but it was no use. He decided to stop when he knew they were too high to fall down and actually be able to survive.

Finally, the loftwing reached the small platform of the top of the statue and dropped Link on to it, so he could quickly fly away from him. Link landed with a thud on his stomach, and slowly rolled over on his back with a loud moan.

"You're late," Hylia said as she finished playing a song on a small golden harp, facing the vast landscape before her.

"Yeah, sorry," Link groaned as he struggled to sit up. "But I did keep my promise, didn't I?"

She held the harp in front of her, securing it tightly. She turned to see Link manage to sit up, and began to speak. "Sorry about my loftwing… he's usually not that bad. I guess he really doesn't like you."

"You don't say," Link had to cough due to the impact of his collision with the hard stone.

"Well, there's something I wanted you to have. Do you think you can stand up?"

Link moaned under his breath as he faced Hylia on one knee. She took a step towards him, offering a hand to help him up. He took it willingly, but did not want to hurt her in any way by using his body weight on her one arm.

"Can… I just kneel? Just to make things easier?" Hylia chuckled and nodded her head. "Thanks. You know, someday I may just win over that loathsome beast. No offense," Link said, trying to use any pride he had left.

"Yeah sure," Hylia laughed as she agreed doubtfully.

Their hands remained together, eyes on each other, as an ever so slight serious tone began to emerge. Hylia began to speak accordingly. "Valiant youth who grasped victory of the bird folk," Hylia smirked as she teased him, "I now bestow the blessings of the goddess upon you."

Hylia reached behind her and revealed a white piece of fabric, with a symbol on it identical to the ones on the base of the statue. Hylia continued, "The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you."

Link took the piece of cloth curiously, a bit befuddled. He actually found himself able to stand, he figured through Hylia's healing touch. He was now able to look at her face to face, confused.

"Um, I appreciate it, but…what is it?" He asked with curiosity, holding the cloth in front of his face.

"It's a sailcloth," she explained, trying to suppress laughter. "But that's actually not what I really needed to show you…"

"Ok then," Link said unsurely, "But seriously, what's this for?"

"Well, seeing it that my loftwing might kill you the next time it sees you, it's your ride to the ground!"

"Wait, wha—" was all Link could say before Hylia leaped of off the statue into the air. He heard the sound of a whistle, and then saw the large red loftwing dive straight towards Hylia.

He didn't know what to think. He had never seen anything like this before. Was it trying to hurt her? Without hesitation, Link jumped off of the platform, just in time to see Hylia land firmly on the bird's back. _Whew_. At least she was safe.

But it wasn't until then that Link became aware that he was hurdling towards the ground at a truly fast pace. He quickly unfolded the sailcloth in his hands and positioned it in a parachute shape—just a second before his feet hit the ground.

"Wow, it took guts to not use it until the last second," Hylia shouted as she dismounted her loftwing that stood on the other side of the courtyard. The bird was in the air before she took another step.

She walked towards him, and she could see he was still shaking a bit from the ordeal. "_And_ you managed to land right in the middle of the gold ring. Aces!"

Link was still in shock, but he managed to look around him—she was right. He had landed right in the middle of the circle. Perfectly.

"You passed the test," Hylia began.

"Test? Wh-what test?" Link stammered.

"The test that you could not only defend me, but you had you were able to take action, even when you put yourself at risk. And you also learned how to use the sailcloth and land. It's clear that you are in fact the chosen hero!" She proclaimed joyfully.

"Oh," Link responded, not sure what else to say. Again, the word _hero_ had not fully sunk in yet, but it was getting there…slowly. "So…what did you want me to have?"

"Oh, right," Hylia said. "Follow me." She walked along the stone path and up to the temple doors. Without thinking, Link opened the heavy door for her, and even he was surprised that he could barely get it open.

She thanked him, and they both entered to be greeted by a strong, cool breeze that cascaded their faces. Link hadn't even realized how hot it had been outdoors until coming in here. He was drowned in the shade that the temple provided, but his eyes had not yet adjusted from being outside so long.

Once the glare marks his eyes had made from the sun subsided, he could finally see what was in this sacred place. Despite the temple being ancient, it almost looked as if it were brand new; enchanted to look that way, perhaps. The walls matched the floor with a grayish-white color and pillars lining the building. To the left seemed to be a garden-like area that lacked any kind of vegetation or flowers. The right only held a door that looked to be sealed shut. In front of Link was a tremendous sized black slab of stone—but it wasn't just any stone. On it were what seemed to be inscriptions of an ancient text, and the symbol that was found on his new sailcloth.

"What is that for?" Link asked, indicating the stone that obviously once required a lot of craftsmanship.

"Nothing," Hylia said casually, "It's nothing of your concern. Not yet, anyways…." Link was suspicious, but he decided to brush it off. Hylia led them around it and were faced to a huge door; even bigger than the ones they had entered through. But instead of going through them, Hylia stopped at the top of the many stairs that surrounded them, and turned to face Link so she could begin to talk to him seriously.

Before she spoke, she held out her hands about a foot apart, and Link watched curiously. Suddenly a shimmer of light began to form where her hands were. The glistening eventually began to take shape, becoming so white it was hard for Link to look at. With a flash of light, the sparks vanished and Hylia was holding a blade; a perfect, silver one. Flawless, strong, ethereal.

"This is the Master Sword, a blade that eradicated evil. It contains the power to rend the earth, and acts as a pillar to support it as it floats up into the sky." Link thought about this for a moment, and it suddenly made sense why Hylia offered the knights the possibility of literally living in the sky.

"However," she continued, "it was wrought by the gods, meant for our hands alone. Yet I must allow a human to wield it in order to exert my power over the surface world."

"But aren't you human now?" Link questioned.

"No," Hylia said quietly, "I am the goddess in human form, but still have divine capabilities, as you've seen. Like calling my loftwing, conjuring up this sword, characteristics like that." Link understood, and then kept quiet.

"Link, I think you understand who must wield this," Hylia paused, and began to speak slowly, "The most valiant, honorable man on the world's surface…"

"Goddess, I was imprisoned for a very long time. I am impure. I cannot possibly lay my hands upon a holy blade."

Hylia was shocked by his refusal, but continued nonetheless. "The sword will decide whether or not you are impure." Link gazed at the sword, still amazed by its beauty.

"Link," she said, getting his attention and holding the sword up a bit higher, "Will you wreck vengeance on the land that held you in contempt? Or will you save it from its fate?"

Link found this hard to comprehend. Could he really wield a holy blade, even though he was in prison just a few days ago? Sure it wasn't really his fault, but he wasn't going to accept a position as serious as this without being honest with himself. But this also made him feel more pressure than usual. Now not only did he have his fellow knights asking favors of him, but a goddess as well. It didn't bother him too much before, but it wasn't until now that it actually started to sink in.

And he didn't know how to answer. He could be passive and shy like usual, but that wouldn't let Hylia know of the doubts he had for even himself. Everyone else had so much faith in him…but what if he wasn't successful? What if he failed not only himself, but every being that he does and doesn't know, and even worse, the goddess herself?

He decided to answer honestly. "Gods…humans…both of you seek the same answers from me. And you use me whenever it suits you."

_Wait_, he thought, _that came out harsher than I thought it would_…

"You know, Link," Hylia said trying to comfort him, "You won't be alone. I'll always be right there beside you. After all, it's not just your destiny that has to be fulfilled."

He thought about her words. His mind had already been made up, but her utterance really was comforting.

"But," he said softly, as he looked thoughtfully into those blue eyes that could drive the most rational man completely senseless. "Needless to say…I will always stand with my friends."

She looked at him for a long time, and a smile slowly grew on her face, and Link mimicked her. His hand grabbed the purple winged hilt of the blade, and placed it where Orville was just a few moments ago. Hylia took his old sword as he placed the Master Sword in his sheathe, where it would remain; with the hero until Demise had been eradicated.

* * *

"You look awful…" Hylia teased Link as they walked to his house from the temple.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically, "Just tired I guess. How about you? Did you sleep well?"

"Actually, I only slept for like two hours, but I feel completely fine. I think it's because I only possess a few human qualities, so I only need a few human necessities…if that makes any sense."

"No, it did," Link declared, "So how much do you eat? Is that different too?"

"Well ever since I got here I've only eaten eggs and an apple, so probably not."

"Right." Link didn't know why, but he was really fascinated by this. But then again, maybe it wasn't just him. How often does a goddess appear in human form, anyways?

The rest of the way they walked in silence. Hylia lagged behind a bit, because she wanted to look up and see the Master Sword's hilt in his sheathe. It really complimented his armor and his red cape…and his muscles. He really did look like what a chosen hero should look like.

Upon entering Link's house, for some reason he missed the coolness of the temple. His house provided shade, but it just wasn't the same. Hylia sat on the chair near the bookshelf and began to write in a journal of some kind to record what happened today. After all, they both knew that this was history in the making. But she mainly started writing just to make herself look busy.

She looked up from her journal to him and saw him leaning on the kitchen table rubbing his eyes. "Link, get some sleep. Seriously, I wasn't kidding when I said you look awful."

Link shot her a look, but they both knew she was right. He would need strength if was going to get training done of any kind. "Fine," he said reluctantly, even though he really was dead tired. He decided to tease her back. "But wake me up in a few hours. And don't do anything stupid wile I'm out, goddess divine."

They both smirked at each other. "I should be telling you the same thing, hero."

Link dragged himself to his bed, and it didn't take long for him to lose consciousness. Zelda waited until his breathing became even, and then stood up, walked to the door, and quietly left the house.

She hated that she had to wait for Link to fall asleep to leave, but she couldn't let Link know what she was up to…

* * *

**Ohh, what could Hylia be up to? Wait and find out! :P**

**P.S. Next chapter: Backstory on Link a bit. Oh yeah, it's going to get deep. See you next chapter!**


	8. Exceptions

**I love you guyss! I received a lot of reviews, and I just wanted to thank you guys so much for that! I love reading them, and I'll be responding to some at the end of the chapter. Thanks you guys, really!**

**Oh, and also, I feel like I need to point out that this chapter has a tiny bit of foul language. I'm probably paranoid, but it's the first time that any of my stories has ever had it. Just thought I should mention it.**

* * *

A few days had passed since Link received the Blade of Evil's Bane, and everyone was truly impressed by his increase in strength. He became quicker in practice, and was even brought deep into the forest to battle some keese and even a few bokoblins, which he fought diligently.

Hylia, as well, grew increasingly stronger, even in her mostly human form. She trained herself in secret, however, unlike Link who had the assistance of many experienced soldiers. Since really no one, hardly even Link, knew much of her powers, she was sometimes perceived as someone who was somewhat weak and needed protection, although she declined any assistance every time.

Link was especially guilty of being overprotective of Hylia. He knew if he ever let anything bad happen to her, then he would never be able to forgive himself, let alone would anyone else.

One late night when the moon was well into the sky, Ryker had come to Link's house to discuss the wedding. Link had been worried about Hylia, because usually she would be back before sundown. What if something happened to her? What if Link had let something bad happen to the goddess?

Ryker was one of the only people that could tell when something was wrong with him. He stopped in the middle of their discussion regarding the bachelor party to ask Link what was wrong.

"Nothing," Link said, almost embarrassed that he could tell just through his mannerisms.

"Link," Ryker began, "I've known you for goddess knows how many years, I've been by your side through practically everything. I think I can tell when there's something wrong with you."

Link knew he was right. Childhood friends as close as they were, virtually brothers, know more than what the other may think.

Link sighed as he gave in to him. "Sorry, it's just that Hylia is usually here by now. Do you think something happened to her?"

"I think you're just paranoid, Link. Besides, she _is_ a goddess… I think she knows what she's doing."

Link sighed again as he tried to absorb his words. But honestly, he knew that Ryker could be wrong. There was a lot that Link knew he didn't know about Hylia. He understood, because she was a goddess, but it made him feel uneasy.

And he knew she wasn't really used to her human body yet, even if she was a goddess. After all, a powerful weapon is no good unless you are actually able to use it. It was just like his mother used to tell him long ago; a phrase that Link's father used to tell Link as a baby: _A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage._

As if on cue, Link's door creaked open and revealed the petite figure dressed in white and a waterfall of gold hair known as Hylia. She walks in as if there was nothing was wrong, paying no mind to the two males that watched her from the small kitchen table.

"Where have you been?" Link asks curiously, breaking the brief silence.

"Link, I'm not a child," she joked in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I know that, but Hylia if anything happens to you—"

"Well nothing did, ok?" She said, trying to change the subject.

Ryker sat watching them awkwardly and stood up a few moments after Hylia spoke. "Maybe I should go…."

"No," Hylia told him assuredly, "really, everything's fine. You can stay as long as you want."

"It's alright, Ginger is probably wondering where I am anyways. See you Link! Goodnight Hylia."

Ryker shut the door, and the room went silent again. Ryker was never one that could handle awkward situations. Especially way back when he only had a crush on Ginger at the age of 15. He had taken Link with him to go talk to her for the first time, but right before Link abruptly stopped and pushed him towards her, nearly causing him to run into her. Ginger's first words to him were, "What do _you_ want?" in an impertinent tone. The thought made Link shake his head chuckle to himself.

Hylia ignored his weird behavior and opened the pantry. "You're running out of food," she said as she grabbed the last can of green beans he had left.

"I'll have to get some more in the morning," Link said, rubbing his eyes after another long day of hard training. Even though she was technically half-human, he had no idea how Hylia only had to sleep for less than half the amount of time that he needed to.

"No need," Hylia said nonchalantly as she opened the can with a knife, "I can just go out tonight and get some things. I'll just need some rupees and—"

"Absolutely not!" Link cut her off. "It's hard enough for me to let you go by yourself into the forest, let alone in the city with a bunch of people there."

"Seriously, Link? You don't trust me enough?" she said, her voice as well as Link's slowly raising.

"It's not you I don't trust, it's other people."

"There you go again!" she said irritated, "Talking to me like I'm a helpless child!"

"I don't think you're a child," Link said on the borderline of yelling, "I just can't let anything happen to you!" Why didn't she understand that? "There's rotten people out there, especially men with perverse thoughts. Some would do anything to get a woman like you!"

Hylia ignored him and sighed, frustrated. "Why do you care about me so much, anyways? Don't you think your girlfriend would get jealous?"

"I don't have a—" Link stopped himself, realizing he was very close to yelling. He took a breath and continued calmly. "I don't have a girlfriend."

Hylia crossed her arms and looked a picture of a young woman near the bookshelf she had seen earlier, wanting an explanation.

Link followed her gaze but then looked down once he realized what she was looking at. "That's my mother when she was around my age, maybe a bit older…" he said, his voice giving the essence of hurt. Hylia noticed and softened her face when she heard the small strain in his voice, but kept her stance.

Link could tell she needed more convincing, so he told her the truth. "Actually, I've never even kissed a girl."

Hylia then took the can with her and sat in the chair next to him. Her eyes looked for his, but he was still looking at the old, wood floor. She could tell that it wasn't just the fact that he hadn't kissed anyone that made him sad by the way his expression completely changed in an instant; there was something else. "Why not?" she asked softly.

"Nothing," he mumbled, "It's stupid."

"Link, you can tell me. I promise."

Link hated opening up to people. He hated it when people could tell what he was thinking, unless it was Ryker; one of the very few people he trusted. Revealing his innermost thoughts and secrets felt like a weakness to him, because if the person he told secrets to had decided to turn on him, then his life could be virtually ruined. Even when the entire population was against him, Ryker still had the sense and heart to not be entirely one of them. That's when he was sure he had chosen the best friend he could ask for.

But Hylia was different. Link knew Ryker for years, but only a few days with Hylia and he felt close to her. He couldn't tell if it was because she was a goddess or if it was because of something else, but he somehow knew he could trust her.

He took a deep breath, and began to tell her. "It's not that I don't want to kiss anyone, or to feel love, because I do. It's just…" He paused, and Hylia waited patiently until he continued. He started again, this time with a different approach. "My mother died when I was young. Ten maybe? I'm not exactly sure. Anyways, I remember looking over her open casket and seeing her dead form. The woman who took care of me, loved me, even when my father wasn't there. She was gone. And there was nothing I could do to bring her back."

A tear threatened to escape Link's eye, but he quickly blinked it away. He didn't want to cry in front of Hylia, but really he just knew that crying wouldn't bring her back, so he never did. Over the years he found himself to develop a numb feeling instead of sadness, which seemed to be better to deal with. That feeling has never been broken, and he didn't want to break it now.

"Before they took her body away, I lightly kissed her cold, lifeless lips for the last time. And now, I just feel like if I kiss anyone else, then every part of her will be gone. I want to live a happy life with someone I love, but for some reason I feel like that would be replacing her. She never replaced me, so why should I to her?"

Hylia was shocked by his willingness to open himself up to her, and by how much he said. He never talked much, let alone about himself. But now she knew a fraction of the pain he felt. He lost everything; his father and mother. Did he even have any other family?

Suddenly Hylia didn't feel hungry at all. The uncooked green beans in the can she was holding fill her nostrils, which she found was not appealing at all. She would have offered Link some, but she figured he wasn't too hungry either.

There was a long silence. Neither of them had any idea what to say. Eventually, Link sighed and stood up. "I think I'll just go to bed…" he declared as he walked towards the bathroom to change his clothes.

As soon as Link shut the door, Hylia abandoned the can of beans and began searching vigorously through the kitchen for something. The pantry, cupboards, cabinets, but had no luck. She looked at his bedside table, behind some books on the bookshelf, and even peeked through his dresser a bit. Still, she came up with nothing.

She heard footsteps nearing the bathroom door and ran back to her seat. He came out in his small, open house, suspecting nothing, and sat on his bed.

"Link," Hylia said trying to comfort him, "If it helps, I think your mother would want you to be happy, and that you should be able to live your life how you want."

Link looked at her for a moment and spoke as he dropped his used clothes beside his bed and pulled a blanket over him. "Thanks, but, it's not as easy to let go as you might think. She's given me so much, and now I can never repay her for it."

And with that, Link lied down and quickly fell asleep, regardless of how depressed he was at the moment. It had been another long, tiring day; he was out cold.

When Hylia was sure he was asleep, she went in the bathroom to search, but still came out empty handed. _Where could it be?_

And then it hit her. Why didn't she think of it before? She slowly exited the bathroom, and looked at Link, then the pile of clothes sitting next to him. She sat next to his sleeping form and searched through every pocket in his clothing. His soft breath fell on her shoulders and made her shiver, which for some reason even gave her a sense of guilt. But the feeling vanished when she finally found what she was looking for.

His wallet, filled with rupees.

* * *

The walk to castle town was not as far as she imagined. It was chilly, however, making Hylia wish she had worn something warmer than a black cloak, but it was all she had.

The streets were nearly empty, except for an occasional resident, cluster of soldiers, or even a few animals. Dogs and cats mainly, which she had to pretend she didn't find so interesting; as if she had actually seen one before.

After walking for twenty minutes or so, she came up to a small shop which seemed to sell things like bread, meat, and maybe even some fruits. It was the only store that seemed to be open at this hour, so she went inside.

It was dark; dim lighting covered the room, and she could barely see a few steps in front of her face. Across the room was a counter that had better lighting, so she made her way there.

From behind her came a big man who had obviously been drinking. She could tell by his breath, a bottle in his hands, and the way he couldn't stand without severely swaying. "Hey little miss, what's your name?" he asked in a stupid, drunken tone.

"None of your business," Hylia said firmly before hurrying away to the counter. "Do you sell food here?" she asked the man at the counter politely. It was probably obvious that she felt uncomfortable here, but she needed to prove to Link that she could do this on her own.

"Not at this time of night," the counterman said, "we make fresh food in the morning, but now it's mainly used as a bar."

"Well, do you know of any store that _does_ sell food at this time?"

"No, just during the day. Sorry ma'am," he said as he winked at her. Why did everyone seem so lascivious tonight?

Hylia rolled her eyes and turned away, feeling defeated. She just wanted to prove to Link that she could do this. Of course she would have to wait until morning.

She reluctantly started to make her way through the dimness towards the door when she was stopped by the same man as before.

"Hey now little miss, don't you be telling me what's my business and what ain't," the drunkard declared.

It was then that Hylia suddenly remembered Link's warning. _There's rotten people out there, especially men with perverse thoughts. Some would do anything to get a woman like you!"_

Hylia tried to walk around him, but he stopped her right in her tracks. "Don't you be running away from me!" he said as he firmly grabbed her wrist.

She gasped and instinctively used her powers to send a shock jolt from her body to his so he would let go. The jolt hit his hand and he let go quickly as he screamed. But instead of giving her an opening to leave he unexpectedly pushed Hylia to the side, causing her to fall on the floor and her head hit into the side of a wall.

"What in the hell was that?!" the man yelled, but Hylia barely heard by the distraction of slickness her hand felt on her head from the blood escaping her wounded head.

The jolt wasn't enough. The drunkard's hand was surely damaged, but his angry body allowed him to stumble towards Hylia, and she didn't know what to do. She really didn't want to hurt him, and she couldn't tell due to the thickness of the darkness, but there didn't seem to be anyone around that would be willing to help her.

She forced her now weak legs to stand up, and she began to form energy in her hands; energy that only a goddess could possess. Blue orbs of light formed in her palms, and the glowing filled a little bit of the blackness that surrounded her, showing the drunkard knew where exactly he could find her. He was furious; even in the terrible lighting Hylia could see his red, angry cheeks. He looked like he was about to explode.

Hylia raised her hands so the orbs' light filled the room. They were about the size of her head, and the man was alarmed; his eyes opened wide and his mouth dropped at the sight.

But he was still in rage nonetheless. "What are you doing, you bitch?"

And just then, Hylia released the energy she stored. The orbs became a blue explosion that cascaded every dark corner of the room. Its power made any pieces of glass shatter instantly. The man and the bartender, who had apparently not seen any of the incident because he was in the back room, flew backwards into the nearest wall. All the tables, chairs, anything moveable, flipped over before it could even be thought about.

The damage had been done, all in the matter of a single second.

Suddenly Hylia began to feel lightheaded. She hadn't used that much power at once before, so she wasn't expecting it to make her feel weak. She held her head as if to keep it from spinning, but her numb hands continued to slip with the blood from her injury. She saw spots in her vision, but had to ignore it. She kept her back to the now open doorway, witnessing the chaos she conjured. She backed away until she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her.

"Hylia?" Link asked quietly, as if not wanting to reveal her identity. But with an injured head, she wasn't sure what she was seeing. Was that actually him? Was she hallucinating? Or maybe even dreaming?

"…Link," was all she managed to say before she collapsed unconscious, but Link managed to catch her before she hit the floor. He lay her down gently and desperately tried to keep her awake. He knew that if someone hit their head—which he knew was definitely true by looking at her wound—there was a possibility they may suffer from a concussion, and they have to stay awake at first, otherwise they may never wake up again. He wasn't sure, partially because he couldn't think clearly because he was panicking just a bit, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

He repeated her name and shook her shoulder until she finally stirred a bit. He had to get her thinking. He read somewhere that to keep them awake they needed to be asked simple questions first, and then let them rest a bit.

"Hylia, who am I?" He said to keep her mind busy. He got up to find a damp washcloth for her head and returned to her side. Her eyes were barely open, but she was making noise.

"Who am I?" he said, placing the washcloth on the injured area. She winced a little, but tolerated it.

Link could hear the clopping of trotting horses in the distance, probably knights that received calls of a commotion that happened in the local bar. He knew he would have to get out of here soon; if he were to be involved in any type of crime then he would be done for.

"L…Li…" Hylia managed to sputter.

"Yes, what's my name?" he asked.

"Li…Link…" she breathed.

"Good. Do you think you can hold this?" he indicated to the washcloth. She held it to her head with a weak hand, and he scooped her up in his arms like a bride. The sound of horses snorting and clopping grew louder, and he found a backdoor.

Holding Hylia close to him, trying to keep her head as still as possible, he kicked the door open which led to an empty back alley. "How do you feel?" he asked her as another simple question.

"My head… really hurts…" she said as she moaned.

"I bet," he mumbled, as he began his long journey home, with her close in his arms.

* * *

By the time they reached Link's house, Hylia was deep in sleep. He was pretty sure concussion victims had to be awoken every twenty to thirty minutes, so he had about another ten to wait. The washcloth rested on her body so she wouldn't have to keep holding it for the long walk home. He gently lay her down on his bed and took off her cloak and shoes before he covered her up with the thick blanket he was using before.

He couldn't help but admire her beauty, no matter how frustrated he was with her at the moment. That golden hair fell around her perfectly. Her hands that looked so small and delicate compared to his. And he couldn't see them now, but her eyes. The eyes that only a goddess could possess, would be an understatement for their elegance.

Link brushed away the hair that fell on her face, and he suddenly felt something he couldn't explain. His hands became warm, his heart was beating a little faster—as if he just went for a short jog—and a smile grew on his face.

This was something Ryker told him about when he first saw Ginger. That _feeling _that he got. For a moment Link feared it was just the feeling of lust, but he wasn't sure. Maybe there was a reason he felt like he could open up to her about his past. And there was a reason he wasn't mad at her when he had every right to be.

Trying not to overthink things, Link leaned in and kissed Hylia's forehead, and, at that moment, everything felt so right. It was a feeling he never had before; the feeling that everything was exactly where it should be. But then he couldn't help but feel guilty…. He tried to convince himself otherwise. He had never kissed anyone else… but she was an exception, and it was only her forehead, so it didn't count… did it?

* * *

**I'm pretty sure this was my longest chapter I've ever written. Haha... so let me know if you guys like longer chapters that take a while to write or shorter ones that may or may not take as long. Thanks for all the support everyone! :)**

**~Review Corner~  
**

**_agarfinkel_: Thank you for the tips! I'll keep those in mind. And the only reason I used the Master Sword instead of the Goddess Sword was because this is how it went in the manga. Trust me it confused me to, but I'll make it make sense by the end of the story. Thanks for your review!**

**_EndlessLabyrinth_: Thanks for all your compliments! You really wanted to make me write this chapter sooner, so thanks for giving me motivation! :P**

**_darkyami1214_: Um, where do I even begin. Well, I loved all your comments about what was happening in the story. It really lets me know what other people are thinking and what I should take more time to describe. And all your compliments. Holy. Crap. They made my entire week, literally. I can't thank you enough! And for the whole Hylia X Original Link thing, well I hope this chapter hinted at something for you ;)**

**Ok, if I haven't said it enough, I love you guys. Ok, I'm done. But seriously, I do. Ok bye.**


	9. An Unseen Evil

**Oh jeez. You guys I'm sooo sorry for the long wait. The worst part is that I don't even have a good excuse. I mean March is always rough for me, and Spring Break I've been spending time with my family, but that's pretty much it. Nothing too crazy.**

**Oh, and also, this chapter isn't very long either... and probably not the best either. UGH. Sorry for the slump I've been in, but I do promise that the next one will be better!**

**Anyways, enough rambling. Enjoy! (err, at least try? :/ )**

* * *

Hylia woke up to the sound of a kitchen timer going off, and the sight of Link sitting beside the bed she was laying in. He quickly turned off the timer and turned to her promptly.

"What's going on?" she asked groggily.

"Good, an actual response…" Link mumbled to himself. "How do you feel?" he asked with a look of concern in his determined eyes.

She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Well my head hurts, and…" She stopped at the sight of a bloody washcloth in Link's hand. "What happened?"

"So you don't remember?"

"Remember what?" she said as her patience began to wear thin.

"Last night," Link began, "You went into castle town to get food, but something happened… and I don't know exactly what but…"

Link stopped there, but Hylia didn't need any other information. Everything started to clear up in her head. The cold night, the drunk man, the explosion… she didn't remember all the little details, but it was enough to remind her of what happened.

"You were supposed to be asleep…" she said, guilt covering her flushed face.

"I was," Link explained, "until I woke up and saw that can of green beans on the table, untouched from when I last saw it. And then my wallet…"

Oh yeah. She had stolen that too. That was one of those 'little details.'

"Sorry, I didn't know all that was going to happen. I just wanted to show you that I'm not as weak as you think."

"I'm sorry too," Link said, which kind of surprised Hylia, but she wasn't going to complain. "I underestimated you, and I should've known better. But, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"What?"

"Well, you know how you healed my leg the other day?" She nodded. "Well, how come you couldn't heal yourself?"

"Oh, _that_," she began. "well, it was kind of a requisite I had in order to become a human. As long as I can heal others, I had to agree that I wouldn't be able to heal myself the same way. So if I die, basically, then the healing source will be diminished. It was what the golden goddess called a 'fair trade'."

"So I really _do_ have to protect you," Link teased.

"Shut up," Hylia said, smiling back at him. "So anyways… what's with the timer?"

"Oh, I had to wake you up every half hour or so to make sure you weren't dead. This is the first time you've actually responded back to me."

"Right," she said, as she began to realize that without his help, there was a possibility that she really _could_ be dead right now. "Well, thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said as he got up to return the kitchen timer back in it's former position.

There was a brief silence before Hylia spoke again. "So, I've been thinking… maybe we should let everyone know about you, and the Master Sword. I mean, I feel like everyone should know that a hero can protect them, especially on the brink of war."

Link thought about this for a moment, and answered from across the room in the kitchen. "And how do you think we could do that?"

"I think I can get some important people to gather up everyone so we can make a momentous announcement. I can have that affect on people," she said as she winked to him.

Link rolled his eyes as he approached her after putting the timer in its respective place on the counter. He crouched next to her and smirked as he said, "Trust me, I know you do."

* * *

Within just a few hours, Hylia was able to gather a numerous amount of the population of castle town with the help of Link's knight commander. The town square was filled with eager people, instead of the usual hustle and bustle on any other given day.

The crowds of people flooded the streets, making it nearly impossible for anyone to casually walk through to accomplish everyday errands. Hylia, Link, and the knight commander stood above everyone on a balcony that one of the shops gladly allowed them to use for their announcement.

The noisy streets came to a halt as soon as the knight commander started to speak. "Stoke the fires!" he shouted to acquire everyone's attention, although they were already concentrating on him regardless. "We will not be alone when fighting this battle with the evil ones! With the power of the goddess, we can fly to the heavens!"

An uproar of cheers erupted from the townsfolk, and they all looked to Hylia as she took a step forward, indicating she would be next to make a statement.

"The Master Sword was broken by the hands of the hero, melted in the scorching flames…" Hylia said as she turned to Link, who was already holding the sword in his hands to show everyone, and she continued. "This blade was crafted by the golden goddess for the purpose of the eradication of a being you know as Demise. Through Link's touch, the blade's purpose and destiny was recognized by the power of light, and will now fight valiantly, in our favor, in all its strength. Instead of the lack of luster it once held, beaten into shape again, it was reborn from the depths of agony, recovering from the period of time when it hadn't served a true purpose."

Then Link, the hero that would fight diligently for the good of the land and his people, felt power as he held the sword's hilt in his left hand, and raised it in the air so that the people would be able to see and cherish its strength as much as he did. This caused another uproar of cheers, which made the two men on the balcony fill with the happiness that they _thought_ everyone would have.

But…meanwhile, just one soul, the goddess, was desperately attempting to hold back an unseen evil.

* * *

Black. Pitch black. Darkness filled every corner of anything that existed. This realm always looked like this; nothing but the evil of darkness and the lack or sight. Souls of no good intentions filled the area, along with evil laughter that arose from the deepest of voices.

Hylia could experience all of these circumstances. She was the goddess of the land, and since this awful area was technically part the land, she could sense everything that was happening. She was watching Link and the hordes of happy people in her line of sight, but had to fake her happiness because she knew the _truth_.

Sometimes she would receive visions of this horrendous place, most often in dreams, unless it was times like now, when the influence of darkness was mysteriously strong. When her mind connected with it, that was when she was reminded of how outnumbered her army would be. How unprepared and possibly outwitted the war would make her side out to be.

She wanted to scream to everyone to stop cheering, and how seriously dangerous that it was going to be, but she couldn't, because she knew that fear would take an incredible toll on them. She couldn't risk soldiers backing out of the war just because it would guarantee their death, or their loved one's deaths. She would save as many as she could, but fighting was an essential for anyone's survival at all.

Suddenly, Hylia could hear the deep laughter turn to an even abyssal voice. It was communicating with her, and said words that she wouldn't soon forget. "Now…I shall control…everything…"

There was a brief pause, and Hylia's startled self began to hear the ominous voice again. "Once…I obtain…the legacy of the gods…"

And the vision came to an abrupt end. All of Hylia's senses came back to her, and she found herself on the balcony where she was fully just moments ago, before she saw the darkness.

Before the three standing together turned from the audience to head inside, Hylia glanced at Link to find his blue eyes looking into hers, probably noticing the false smile and a blank stare that she just had. She looked away from him, and even though there was only two feet of distance between them, she felt as though they were miles apart. She felt alone, somewhat weak, and maybe even afraid.

She wanted, _so badly_, to hold his hand and not let go for a long time. She wanted him to tell her everything would be fine, that everything would somehow work out; and it had to be him, because she wouldn't be comfortable with anybody else, or even knew anybody else. But he had no idea…and if anybody should be saying that, it _should_ be her.

She hated feeling so alone, and she longed to hug him, and for him to tell her to not be afraid, but she couldn't. Because that would make her look weak; as if she desperately needed the help. Everyone may think that if the goddess couldn't even handle the thought of evil presences on her own, then there was no possible way that any mortal being could.

So she stood up straighter, smiled bigger, and pretended to be happy for all the people that were watching her. She and Link, were what seemed to be, their only hope for being victorious in this atrocious and unscrupulous war.

* * *

**So yeah... Well if you guys have any questions about the story or anything just review of PM me and I can either answer them in the text or separately. (Although I guarantee a majority will be answered in the story in time.) Just thought I'd add that in case I'm accidentally forgetting an important detail or anything. See you next chapter!**


	10. Deep in the Mist

**Wow, ok, yes it's been a long time. And I actually do have excuses, but I'm not going to waste your time and list them (but exams is definitely noteworthy) :P but I just wanted to say that no matter how long it takes me to update a chapter, you should NEVER have to worry that I won't finish this, because I will. I hate reading a story that the author decides not to finish, it just makes me feel like I wasted my time reading it, in a way. So I promise that, whether it takes three months or three years (which it probably won't... lol) I WILL finish this, and you can quote me on that. :)**

**Anyways, this chapter isn't very long, but something reeaallyyyy important happens... And I might have to explain later why I made it happen. But until then... enjoy!**

* * *

Late that night, when Hylia and Link were finally able to break away from the many crowds of castle town, they walked home in silence, their only light from that of the bright moon that hung over them. This night was particularly foggy, and he walked slightly in front of her to guide her through the caliginous atmosphere.

Hylia wanted to speak with him, but they were both thinking the same thing. She could tell he was in deep thought by the way he didn't give any regards for anything around him; he was only focused on the task at hand, and that was getting home. But she had known him too well. They were both thinking about the upcoming war that they both had a large part of. Neither of them would admit it to the other, but they felt as if the weight of the war was completely on their shoulders. And in a way, it really was.

Eventually the pair reached their destination, but neither of them were tired enough to go to bed yet, despite the fact that it was so late. Hylia stood in the doorway watching Link lean on the table staring straight past the dirty dishes in the sink, obviously still in deep thought. And then she thought of something to get their minds off things.

"I want to show you something," Hylia blurted out in the midst of the awkward silence. Link turned his head abruptly to her in response.

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise," she said with a sly smile, "But in order to know what it is, we'll have to go away from here…_far_ away from here."

"Well how far is _far_?"

"Far enough that no one will find us."

Now he was even more confused than before, and was reluctant. "I think I should probably go to bed. Ryker was going to come over early tomorrow to discuss the wedding and I don't—" He was cut off by Hylia's dainty hand that was firmly wrapped around his wrist, forcing him through the doorway back outside.

"Come on, Link!" Hylia said joyfully as Link trudged next to her in her grasp.

Then they were running in the heavy mist-like fog once again, and she didn't even need to keep a hold of him anymore. He seemed much more carefree now that his mind was distracted. They felt free rushing through the trees, nearly hitting them every so often due to the whiteness of the mist partially blocking their vision. They ran straight, side by side for nearly ten minutes before they began to gasp for air, and Hylia instructed him to stop.

"This should be far enough," she nearly coughed as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Ok," Link said as he breathed in a similar fashion, "so what did you want to show me?"

Hylia pointed in the direction of the way they were heading and said, "Just keep looking that way. You'll see."

Link obeyed and looked in front of him for a moment with squinted eyes in an attempt to see some kind of object in the distance, but was ultimately unsuccessful. "Hylia I don't—"

"Just wait!" she cut him off again, and they were both now looking into what seemed to be an expanse of nothing, together.

Eventually, out of nowhere, Link was slightly able to see a figure slowly emerge from the ominous fog. He immediately took a fighting stance in front of Hylia to protect her, and his hand moved swiftly to the sword over his left shoulder. He was just about to unsheathe it before Hylia spoke to him.

"It's ok," she said knowingly, "trust me."

Link responded obediently and tried to hold a casual stance to please Hylia, but his tense muscles still remained. He could see this mysterious silhouette get closer, and its figure seemed to be taller than he was.

"Link," Hylia started as she shifted her gaze from the figure to him, "this is Impa."

Link could see perfectly now. Impa was very tall and skinny with golden skin. She had bleach blonde hair with one strand that fell on the side of her head, and wore navy blue all over her body. Her outfit's various designs matched those that danced across her face.

The tall women bowed to Hylia with honor and said, "Your Grace. Did you have need of me?"

Hylia nodded. "I thought it would be appropriate for my guardian and the chosen hero to finally meet. Well actually you already have, but I mean properly," she corrected herself.

"I don't recall meeting Impa before, though…" Link said, completely unaware of what she was talking about.

"Actually you have," continued Hylia, "and you should probably thank her for keeping you alive."

Link furrowed his brow in confusion, and Impa spoke to him. "Don't you know that most of the people that are locked up like you were die within a few weeks of when they're put in there? They thought you were some kind of miracle for just breathing after a month."

"Did you ever wonder why you always got so much food?" Hylia explained further, "It was because she was keeping you alive. She was also the one that told you of Lord Dagianis's death, right before you were released from the prison."

Link was speechless. It was because of this woman that he was alive, and he didn't even know her. He usually didn't speak much anyways, but at this moment he was incapable of even formulating words.

After a few moments of awkward stuttering that came from Link's lips, he was finally able to give his sincere thanks to Impa. Soon after Hylia thanked her as well and dismissed her to her affairs. Impa nodded politely and again entered the mysterious fog from which she came.

"Impa has always been a guardian of mine," Hylia started, "she comes from the very trustworthy race of the Shiekah. I have the ability to summon her whenever necessary."

Link was still at a loss for words, so Hylia continued. "Well I guess we better get back…. You'll have to get up early, right?" she said as she laughed internally at the thought of him actually having to get up early in the morning.

"Yeah," Link sighed, reluctant to the idea of waking up at what he considered to be such an appalling time.

He turned around and walked only a few feet before an excited expression grew on his face. "I'll race you to the house. Last one there has to do the dishes." What could he say? He wanted to have some fun.

"Deal!" Hylia exclaimed.

And with that, they took off into the forest, and for now completely distracted themselves from their worries, just as before. They weaved through the trees, taking their own paths and found themselves far from each other. Whilst running they made their way back to the other and exchanged smiles. This is the most at peace both of them have felt in awhile.

While looking at Hylia's beautiful face, Link was distracted from the path he was taking and suddenly tripped over a large object. Hylia stopped to not only catch her breath but to also laugh at his clumsiness.

Link laughed at himself too, finding himself on the ground feeling dumbfounded, until he realized that something didn't seem right. When his foot hit this object, it seemed somewhat soft; nothing like a fallen tree or anything. He felt a sticky substance on his hands, and he looked down to find that they were covered in blood.

And it wasn't his own.

His head shot up to look at Hylia, who not only wasn't smiling anymore, but had a look of terror. Suddenly Link felt the air get colder, and his head become dizzy. In the corner of his eye, he could tell that the object was gold but was splattered in red blood, along with blue steel.

He slowly turned his head to find himself looking at Ryker's cold, dead body, lying very still in the wet leaves of the murky forest floor.


End file.
